ADHD May Be on the Rise in U.S. Children

According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open, diagnoses of children with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) have increased significantly since 1997. Researchers found that the diagnosis rate for children with ADHD increased from 6.1% in 1997 to 10.2% in 2016. However, according to Dr. Wei Bao, there could be lots of reasons for this dramatic rise. For example, doctors are much better at diagnosing ADHD than they were 20 years ago. Dr. Bao also said that more people today are aware of the condition and its symptoms, which can lead to more kids getting screened and subsequently diagnosed. Bao and his fellows are researchers at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. They came to their conclusions by reviewing the National Health Interview Survey over 20 years. In particular, they honed in on answers to one question: Whether survey-takers' children had ever been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD (attention-deficit disorder). For scope, the most recent iteration of the survey from 2015-2016 collected data on over 18,000 children from age 4-17. Of that number, nearly 2,000 received an ADHD diagnosis. Though the research results are startling, experts advise parents and doctors to take the increase in children with ADHD with a grain of salt. This is because ADHD is commonly misdiagnosed.

Young and Overweight? Your Heart May Suffer

Young adults who are overweight are at high risk for high blood pressure and damage to the heart, just like older adults. According to a study from the U.K.'s University of Bristol, the correlation between a high BMI (body mass index) and cardiovascular issues applies to young people, too. To come to their conclusions, researchers studied data collected from over 3,000 young people born during the '90s, who were 17 years old when the study took place. Researchers also looked at the cardiovascular scans of 400 high-risk, 21-year-old adults. The 17-year-olds' average BMI was in the so-called "healthy" range. The average blood pressure of the group was also in the range considered "healthy" (under 130 mmHg for a systolic reading and under 80 mmHg for a diastolic reading).† In general, young adults who had higher BMIs in the study also had a better chance of developing high blood pressure. They additionally found that having a high BMI correlates to a higher left ventricular mass index (meaning the left ventricle of the heart is enlarged). This means that the young adults who weighed more correspondingly had more blood pumping through their bodies every minute. Over time, this may lead to a variety of heart issues, including a thickened heart muscle and high blood pressure. According to a Harvard Medical School researcher, this may be because those at a higher weight have bodies with higher metabolic demands. They may also have more inflammation due to their increased amount of fat cells.

Live in a High-Income Country? Donít Expect the Highest Life Expectancy

Two new studies are revealing some startling facts about recent life expectancies in high-income countries like the U.S.: They're declining, but for surprising reasons. The first of the studies examined life expectancy trends among 18 countries with high income. Overwhelmingly, most of them experienced simultaneous declines in 2015 for the first time in decades. In the U.S., drug overdoses due to the opioid epidemic are to blame for a large number of young adult deaths. In other high-income countries, a harsh flu was mostly behind declining life expectancies during the 2014-2015 season. Most were able to rebound their rates during 2015-2016, but the U.K. and the U.S. were not among them. Meanwhile, a second study adds that the opioid epidemic is just the beginning Ė deaths from alcohol abuse and suicide are also on the rise in the U.S., not to mention death during middle age due to diseases of the organs, including the heart, digestive system, and lungs. The second study also suggests that lower life expectancies may have psychological and socioeconomic origins. In short, what causes people in low socioeconomic groups to make bad health choices like smoking, abusing alcohol, and eating unhealthy foods?† The German researchers behind the study, from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, suggest that stress from income inequality, social exclusion, and more can be the starting point.